Harry Potter and the Last Battle
by Violet Granger 4
Summary: Harry Potter goes through a rough time at school, including searching for the horcruxes. In the end, he will have to face his enemy: Voldemort. No more story until I get reviews!
1. Chapter 1

The mood in Privet Drive was grim. Even the weather seemed to disagree with them. Dark clouds filled the sky moodily, and gave shade to a skinny dark-haired boy setting in an alley between Number Four and Number Five.

The boy was the only living thing on the street, and most who would see him would disagree. His face was as pale as death and the only real defining features on his face were his vibrant green eyes and a thin lightning shaped scar on his forehead. His dark hair lay messily over his expressionless eyes.

Harry Potter was reading his letters from his wizarding correspondences. The one from Lupin was short and sweet. It read:

_Dear Harry,_

_The Order is regrouping. We have new strategies and plans since last June. We are sending a Guard to protect you on your way to Sirius's old home. Please stay RIGHT where you are and DON'T go ANYWHERE. Death Eaters are everywhere and danger is lurking around every corner. _

_Sincerely,_

_Remus J. Lupin_

Harry thought this letter was slightly amusing. It reminded him of the summer that the dementors had appeared at Little Whinging. 'Stay where you are, don't go searching for trouble,' those were the warnings they all gave him. He felt like a misbehaving puppy that was being punished.

Ron's letter was in two parts. One section was from Ginny, and the other, from Ron. It was rather long, though it looks hurriedly written, as if he was being rushed to write it.

_Dear Harry, _It said,

_How are you? We've been cramped in Grimmauld Place for the entire summer. We haven't even seen our yard since last June. The place is exceptionally tidy now, though mum's been in sort of frenzy to keep it clean. She pursues us with flyswatters and threatens to smack us with one if we so much as grease her precious cleaning. The Order has been talking about bringing you here, but you might already know. I have to end this note here; Ginny is wrenching the quill out of my hand. So rry if these last le tters ar e mess ed up………_

_Dear Harry,_

_It's Ginny. Ron is a git and wouldn't give me the quill. So, how's your summer? Probably awful, I expect. Well, I got seven OWLS, so mum is happy. The Order is bringing you here, and I'm so excited! Hermione is not here yet, because her parents were informed of the goings on in the wizarding world, and they are not letting her go. Stay safe, Harry. I'll see you soon,_

_-Ginny_

Harry loved getting the letter from Ginny. She was always so optimistic and strong. Harry yearned to go out with her again, but he knew she would be in danger if he did.

Pondering always took your mind away from things. This happened to Harry just then, and he didn't notice the cloaked figure approach stealthily, wand drawn.

When Harry finally looked up, he gasped.

"YOU!" He screamed, his voice cracking with rage.

There before him stood the cause of most of his misery, the traitor who ensnared him like a fly to a trap. It was Severus Snape.

"How can you come and face me?" Shouted Harry, his words leaping from his throat without thought.

Snape said nothing. He just raised his wand.


	2. Chapter 2

Snape opened his mouth to say a spell, but Harry whipped out his wand and stood quickly.

"_EXPELLIARMUS!"_ Harry cried with such ferocity that saliva flew out of his mouth.

Snape deflected it easily. "Nonverbal, Potter!" He shot back, and sent a disarming spell back at him.

Harry's wand flew from his hand and he suddenly felt completely powerless. He backed away from Snape slowly, his gaze never leaving Snape's wand.

Finally, he stared into Snape's eyes. When he did, his hatred for the Potions Master intensified, and he was almost blinded by rage.

"What are you here for? To kill me like you did Dumbledore? To betray me like you did my parents? To fulfill Voldemort's orders? ANSWER ME, YOU FILTHY COWARD!" Screamed Harry, who now was so hysterical that he didn't see Snape slip his wand back into his robe pocket.

"I did not come to kill you, Potter. I came to warn you. The Dark Lord is sending Death Eaters to capture you tonight, Potter, you had better mount your broom and leave," he replied.

"And which Death Eaters are those? You and who else? Why aren't you with dear Bellatrix Lestrange, or whoever else you were sent with?"

"I am not with Bellatrix. I am with NO ONE. I am sent on Remus Lupin's orders to retrieve you and take you to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, or so I am told, your new inherited home."

"WHAT? You can't expect me to believe that rubbish! I know you killed Dumbledore!"

"But I didn't. Professor Dumbledore is now at Grimmauld Place. We set up a scheme to make sure the Dark Lord thought he was dead. It worked. And that is why Death Eaters are coming for you."

"How can I trust you?"

"Read this. It is a letter from Molly Weasley. If you can't believe this, then you can just stay and be captured by Death Eaters."

Harry took the paper. He unfolded it and stared at the message. There was no mistaking Mrs. Weasley's loopy handwriting. Harry read it bitterly.

_Dear Harry, _

_Professor Snape is being sent to get you. Trust him, he is telling the absolute truth. Dumbledore is here and safe. Hurry! _

_Stay Safe,_

_Mrs. Weasley _

Harry looked again at Snape.

"Alright," he said through clenched teeth, "I'll go with you."

Snape said nothing; he just turned on his heel and marched toward Number Four. He strode through the Dursley's door with so much as a knock on the door. Uncle Vernon purpled when he glimpsed a billowing robe sweeping through his living room and up his stairs, followed by a skinny 17-year-old boy. Somehow, Snape knew where Harry's room was. He walked in without a thought and grabbed his trunk.

"You know how to Apparate, I trust?" He said.

"Yes, I took my test a week ago," replied Harry.

Harry grabbed Hedwig's cage and lugged it downstairs after the professor. Snape suddenly stopped.

"We Apparate, three…two…one…now," said Snape, and then disappeared with a crack.

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia shouted with alarm. Harry couldn't help but smile as he readied himself to leave.

He looked back at the tidy living room one last time, and then felt the familiar sensation of being pressed in from all sides.

When he resurfaced, he looked around and found himself in a homey kitchen.

"HARRY!" Screamed a familiar voice. Harry turned, and smiled widely.


	3. Chapter 3

"Harry!" Cried Ginny Weasley, her long red hair gleaming, "You're here! We thought you'd never make it!"

Harry beamed at Ginny and they hugged, though the hug was brief and awkward.

"Well, come on! Everyone else is upstairs waiting for you! You were taking so long that we thought you got held up by Death Eaters."

Harry didn't find this amusing. Ginny noticed this immediately, and changed the subject hastily.

"Yeah, well, our summer's been dreadfully _boring_, the most exciting thing that has happened was that a dead doxy dropped from the ceiling in to the potato soup last night at supper and scared mum half to death," Ginny said humorlessly.

Harry cheered up a little. He followed Ginny soundlessly up the stairs, a dreadful creaking sound was made whenever he stepped, and the beheaded house-elves leered at him with lifeless venom.

Ginny heaved a big sigh and broke Harry out of his reverie. She pushed open the door to the room Ron and he shared.

"Harry, you're finally here! We were so worried!" Cried an all to familiar voice that he knew belonged to Hermione.

"'Lo, Hermione," said Harry smiling weakly at Hermione, and then to Ron, who was sitting upright on his bed. He wore an odd expression, as if caught doing something wrong.

The room looked different somehow, it no longer looked grungy and uninviting. A fire cracked merrily between the two beds and looked as if it never wished to go out. Harry's bed was made tidily and he knew that someone was preparing for his arrival. The chandelier that hung from the ceiling was dusted and shiny.

"Bill and Fleur's wedding is tomorrow," said Ron, standing and joining the group by the door, "They're getting married here, in the biggest room in the house, the ballroom."

"Grimmauld Place has a ballroom?" Asked Harry, taken aback, "How come I didn't know? We cleaned the place top to bottom in the summer before our fifth year."

"Because we just found it. It was being guarded heavily by a haughty looking portrait, you know, the one next to that wardrobe that held that attacking robe, and he accidentally let it slip to Ginny that he was guarding a ballroom," replied Ron.

"I persuaded him, more like," said Ginny.

"Sure, just like you persuaded that foul, screeching portrait of Sirius's mum to start retching yesterday…"

Ron turned an unflattering shade of pink.

"Listen, Harry, there is something we have to tell you about Dumbledore…"

Harry didn't get to hear the important news about Dumbledore. At that precise moment, Mrs. Weasley knocked on the door.

"Dinner, my dears, hurry! The soup is getting deathly cold. Oh, and Harry, Remus wants to talk to you," said Mrs. Weasley, in a frazzled, yet cheery, voice.

They headed down the stairs again, not daring to whisper anything amongst themselves in the company of Mrs. Weasley. When they reached the last step, they broke up. Harry went to the corner where Lupin sat, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny made way to the table, and Mrs. Weasley hurried to the large cauldron teeming with piping hot soup.

"You wanted to see me?" Said Harry. It seemed as if the werewolf couldn't hear him, because his gaze never faltered from the fireplace. Finally, he turned toward Harry.

"Ah, yes, perhaps we could go someplace more…. private? Maybe in this hallway?" He gestured to a corridor that look so seldom traveled upon that it seemed as if it had survived Mrs. Weasley's cleaning frenzy.

Lupin turned and opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated only for a moment, then explained himself.

"I know your intentions, Harry," he said so calmly that maybe not even Dumbledore himself could have matched his serenity, "You and your friends plan to set off for Godric's Hollow, and there set off to destroy Voldemort's horcruxes."

Harry was speechless. How could Lupin have discovered his plans?

"How did you know?" Asked Harry, his eyes wide in amazement. Lupin smiled genuinely.

"Dumbledore filled me in. He is too weak to talk to you himself, of course, but requested me to warn and counsel you: they will search for you in Godric's Hollow. I am not saying you shouldn't go, but that you should take care. The world is now an extremely unsafe place, especially for you, Harry. Please, heed me, and tell your friends, too. Right now, you may be the only one who is able to vanquish Voldemort, and he knows that. He will hunt you down. I advise you to take a member of the Order on your journey, will you do that?"

Harry let out an enormously sigh. "No, I cannot. I wish to make this journey alone. The only reason Ron and Hermione are going is because they insist, and I swore to them they could aide me."

Lupin sighed. "You are stubborn, Harry, and remind me a bit of James," he said, a tinge of laughter in his voice, "very well, I will back off, but Molly won't take this well."

They turned to leave, but an ear-splitting scream made the pair stop in their tracks.


End file.
